Crutch.



E, A.v WHALEU @z 0. R, ILLING.

CRUCH.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE s; 191sA Eatented @im 29, i918.

0%@ 79. fffiyw) muren snaren EDWARD A. WHALEN ANI) OTT@ R. LLhl'Gt, OF NEW YORK, hl. Y..

cannon.

mensen Specification of Letters Patent.4

Patented @on x33.,

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD A. lVHALEN, and OTTO R. ILLING, citizens of the United States, residing at Bronx, inthe county of Kino and State of New York, have invented lcertain new and useful improvements in Crutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention` relates to crutches, and more particularly to a crutch of the cushion type provided with means for absorbing or cushioning jars incident to the use of the crutch. l

One of the main objects of the invention 'is to provide a crutch of the character stated of simple construction and operation in Awhichthe arm piece upon which the dscrs weight is usually placed is resiliently supported so as to obtain a cushioning effect. 'A further object is to provide simple and efhcient means for supportingthe arm piece and for permitting proper movement thereof toward and away `from the body portion of the crutch. Further objects will appear, from the detailed description.

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a crutch constructed in accordance with our invention, y

' Fig.'2 is a section taken substantially on line 2 2 of F ig. 1, Y

Fig. 3 `is a fragmentary section taken Vthrough the upper portion of the body of' the crutch and the adjacent portion of the supporting frame.

. The body of the .crutch may be of any suitable or standard construction being provided with the side bars l and 2 and top bar 3. This top bar supports lower element or bow t or' an elliptical spring 5 the ends of which are hingedly secured to the serted through openings provided throughy bow a equi-distant from screw 8 and project ends of an upper bow 6 by hinge pins 7. A securing screw S isinserted through lower bow et of the spring and isthreaded into topzbar 3 of the crutch. rlwo pins 9 are ininto Valined recesses provided in top bar 3, these pins 9 serving to prevent rotary movemento bow 4 about the screw.

.Screw 8 is provided with an enlarged head 10 of cylindrical shape which projects above the central horizontal portion 4l of. bow Head 10 of screw 8 is in vertical ahnement with a similar head 11 of a screw l2 which is inserted through the center of the horizontal central portion Ga of the upper bow 6 and threaded into a shoulder block i3. The two heads of the screws constitute cen tering elements or studs about which are mounted the end portions of a coiled spring 14. This spring cooperates with the elliptical spring 5 to maintain the shoulder blochn 13 in raised position away from the top bar .3 of the body oi' the crutch. The screws in addition to securing` the elliptical spring to the top bar or' the body of the crut-ch and to the shoulder piece 13 also serve in the manner specied as means for securing the coil spring la in operative position. The upper bow 6 of the elliiliitical spring is also provided with spaced pins 9@ corresponding to the pins 9 of the lower bow which are carried by the horizontal portion 6a andiit tightly into the shoulder piece 13 so as to revent relative rotary movement between t e shoulder piece and the spring.

In use, the springs 5 and 14 act to maintain the shoulder piece away from the top bar 3 of the body of the crutch. Then the users weight is thrown upon the shoulder piece 13, this member will he moved toward the top bar of the crutch, this movement being retarded by the springs thus providing a cushioning edect which greatly reduces the jars and jolts incident to the use of a crutch. As will be noted, the shoulder piece i3 and the springs for supporting the same may be readily applied to a crutch body of standard construction thus producing a device dit eiiicient but simple and cheap malte which may be manufactured at small cost.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred or approved form of our invention. lt is t0 be understood that we may make such changes in construction, and arrangement, and combination of parts, ina- -terials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expansion spring confined between the bows of said elliptical spring.

n 2. In a crutch, a body provided with a top bar 'and side bars secured thereto, a substantially .ellipticalY spring secured to the top bai' on the upper face thereof, a shoulder block mounted on said spring for movement toward and away from said top bar, the 'upper and lower bows of said elliptical spring each provided with a straight portion intermediate its ends, the straight portion of the lower b `)w'.resting upon the top bar and'the'straight portion of the upper bow receiving the shoulder block, and an expanf sion spring confined between the straight portions or' Ahe bows of said elliptical spring.

3. In a crutch, a body provided with a top bar and sidebars secured thereto, asubstan'- tially elliptical on the upper face thereof, a shoulder lock lmounted on said spring for movement' toan expanof ward and 'away from said -top bar, sion spring 4confined .between theevbows said elliptical spring, and means for'secur'- 4 ing `the elliptical spring to the said vshoulder block and the top bar of the body o the crutch, said means being also adapted to spring secured to the top bar maintain the` expansion spring inoperative position.

` 4. In a crutch, a body-,provided with a topA bar and side bars secured thereto, an ellipti cal spring havingits llower bow secured to the Vtop bar on the upper face thereof, a

shoulder block mounted on the upper bowof l said spring, securing screws inserted through being invertical alinement -and having enlarged cylindrical'heads to form 'centering members Afor a coiled expansion spring, an

35 the respective bows of the spring and thread'- ed into the said top bar 'and shoulder block so as to secure'the spring thereto, said screws a coiled expansion springco'nned between i EDWARD A. wiiannn,

. OTTO R. ILlIIN-Gr.`

.Witnesses: I-

M. Bacco, K lume. 4

our signa- 

